Downtown Phoenix has long pined for a stylish sushi den that stays open late.
With the arrival of Squid Ink Sushi, which debuted this week at CityScape, that wait is finally over.
Open til 12 a.m. Monday-Thursday, 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, and for dinner on Sunday (gasp!), Squid Ink (which first opened in Peoria in 2010) has gone all-in with its Downtown location, hoping to capture the appetites and imaginations of both the workaday crowd and the core’s ever growing nightlife scene.
A mural of a tattooed, headphones-and-sunglasses-clad cool kid with squid tentacles fashioned into dreadlocks commands your attention as you enter Squid Ink’s mod-yet-comfy space. Like so many Downtowners, she’s artsy and provocative and beautiful. Seating is tight but not cramped, perfect for courting a gal or prospective client.
Squid Ink’s menu features an assortment of rice and noodle bowls (coconut curry shrimp, yakisoba and tonkatsu ramen priced $11-$13), grilled entrees (filet mignon, salmon, seared butterfish and pork belly bahn mi priced $12-$18) and, of course, sushi.
Owner Schuyler Estes and Chef Nick Herman present their ultra-fresh seafood in the form of conservative rolls of the California, Philly and spicy crab variety ($7-$13) as well as more daring house rolls like the Cougar or Hawaiian ($11-$14). There are also generous two-piece nigiri and five-piece sashimi selections.
Squid Ink offers a full sushi bar, wet bar, and a convenient take-away window that will be open late. Spokesperson Abby Queal said that Squid Ink will often employ local DJ talent and will vie to become a First Friday destination.
A grand opening event is in the works for July.